Ulduin
The Faith of Ulduin is centered around the primal, harsh ways of the Alteraci people, their motivations, their stories, their cultural life etc. It is a faith shaped around folklore left behind by their Vrykul ancestors, which makes the Ulduin faith primarily revolve around the worshipping of the Titanic Watchers which they refer to as gods. Ulduin’s pantheon consists of Freya, Hodir, Loken, Mimiron, Thorim and Tyr, although Tyr has been shunned in the religion and is not often spoken of anymore. The people of Alterac are very believing and faithful to their religion. They believe that most things are created from their gods, including life and the very world itself. It is also a very warrior-aligned faith due to the concept of the Halls of Valor - which Alteraci warriors can ascend to in death if they die in battle. Warriors are amongst the most honourable and most mentioned types of people in the religion, and they are often praised as heroes of Alterac. Naturally, not everyone is a warrior. Knowledgeable elders, peasants, hunters and other such proffesions thrive within this culture aswell, elders because of the rich folklore, hunters due to the vast array of wildlife within Alterac. The people of Ulduin are often quite rough around the edges, with polite manners and such paving little way for a person. Respect is all that a man requires, and respect is largely earned rather than given. They too worship their gods with ritualistic sacrifices, and often display ruthless ferocity when faced against an enemy. Even the common peasant is no stranger to violence within this rough society. Pantheon Thorim Otherwise known as “the Stormlord”, Thorim is the god of the sky and is the wielder of Krolmir, the Hammer of Storms. It is said that when Thorim strikes Krolmir against his great anvil, the sky starts to thunder. He is currently in a large state of depression due to the death of his wife, Sif, which he blames on the Sons of Hodir of Dun Niffelem. Thorim used to ride on the scale of Veranus, Broodmother of the Storm Peaks’ Proto-Drakes, but he has recently set her free. Freya Freya is amongst the most revered of the gods of Ulduin, worshipped by almost all corners of the faith from warriors to elders all the way to the common farmer. For some, the image of beauty and the representation of the wonder of nature, to others a maiden that shapes the life that covers the very world itself. It is said that it was Freya who gave birth to the humans themselves and it is rumoured that the forests and flora of the world can serve as her ears and eyes to the outside world. Hodir It might appear strange that the Alterac revere Hodir, the lord of winter and cold, yet without the cold, how can you appreciate the warmth in life? He is seen as a necessity for balance in the cycle of seasons, for without the cold winds of winter summer can never come again. Living in a land of long winters, the Alteraci also claim that it is Hodir that has teached them to live tough lives and that the world is unforgiving; this toughness is as useful in battle as the strength granted to them by Thorim. Mimiron Mimiron is revered amongst the seers and elders of the faith, seen as the very embodiment of creativity, wisdom and intelligence. Portrayed as a tall and slightly burlier giant, covered in plates and armor that flares as if it was made with otherworldly magic. He is known to be the father of all knowledge, the inventor of thinking and it is said that every single part of the world is from his own blueprint. Also rumoured to know every single thing there is to know in the world, many elders aspire to gain his blessing. Loken Loken is amongst the most obscure of the Watchers, with most of the knowledge being based on speculation. What he is always seen as however is a cunning and intelligent opponent, wielding the armies of Ulduar with a strategic mind beyond any mortal comprehension. He is said to be the gatekeeper of humanity, guiding these armies against the Darkness Beneath. Loken is said to be so cunning that he knows the result of a battle as soon as it is mentioned, and he is able to predict what his enemy will do before they even consider doing it. Tyr It should come as little surprise that Tyr is counted as a god amongst the Alteraci. However, even if tales most certainly have existed about his bravery and his skill in battle in Alterc’s ancient lore, they are now far, far in the past. Ever since blessing the ancient foes of the raiders, the Imperials, with might and magic, the Alteraci have instead dubbed the patron of the Empire Tyr the Traitor. Whilst the rest of the pantheon is united, Tyr is portrayed as an exile and an outcast, who sought instead to muster devotees to himself, and himself only. Afterlife Halls of Valour High up above the clouds lies the paradise of the Halls of Valor. It is there that the greatest of warriors of Ulduin, both Vrykul and man alike, reside and feast. There they are chanting songs of valor dedicated to themselves as their worries and trouble are thrown to the depths of Helheim. The Halls of Valor is considered the ultimate honor, and only warriors who have died in battle ascend to this place. Elders claim that the Val’kyr reside here aswell, serving as guardians for these magnificent halls. It is said that the massive spire within the Storm Peaks is the mountain that carries the Halls of Valor, although it lies so far up that it has remained impossible for even the brave drake-riders to go there to see for themselves. Helheim Helheim, while forboding in name as it is quite reminiscent of Hell, is quite simply where the dead go. In the Ulduin faith, there are two ways of dying: Dying with glory and honor, or simply dying. The faith of death is not decided by personality traits, inhuman actions or anything like that. The dead who haven’t proved themselves to be capable of ascending to the Halls of Valor go to Helheim by boarding a ship named the Naglfar, a massive ship that travels through the realm of the dead to eventually land in Helheim. It is said that those who jump off the Ship of Souls sink to the deep, where they turn into disgusting abominations of the sea to later be enslaved by the Kvaldir. Helheim is a dark and cold place where sorrow and meaninglessness sprouts from the soul of those who go there. It is said that within the cavernous depths of Helheim, warriors who did not get a death worthy of the Halls of Valor sail out upon the open sea covered in fog and mists searching for places to raid and pillage, letting out the anger and hatred for the world for not letting them die honourably, in the form of Kvaldir. While Helheim is seen as a place where no warrior would want to go, Elders who usually do not die in combat revere this place as a source of untold knowledge and clarity as all doubts, worries and other such thoughts seep into Helheim, making them able to manipulate these emotions to become powerful beings of the underworld capable of manipulating the hearts of men in the mortal world. Myths The Val'kyr As written in the -Saga of the Val’kyr- by Helgus, the Val’kyr are heralds of the afterlife in the halls of Ulduar. They have been tasked from their ancestors to carry only the bravest of fighters to their second life with them, where the deceased will be celebrated with song and tales of brave deeds. Never been accurately described or seen, it is only through ancient elders that these mysterious beings have ever been mentioned. It is said that ravens are the Val’kyr’s minions that reside in what will later be known as Drakes (Proto-)Drakes are amongst the most popular tales of the worshippers, being a representation of their ancestors themselves. They have been fiercely documented by both elder and warrior alike, and drawings and texts tell tales of powerful warriors that rode upon the backs of these beasts and burnt entire armies to the ground combined with their skill with a spear upon the back of the Drake. Drakes are seen as heralds of the living, sent as a gift to their ancestors from the Gods themselves. The Kvaldir The Kvaldir, or the Walkers of the Fog as they are known in their home language, have been a popular tale from the Ulduin’s faith ancestors. They have been seen, and even described upon ancient drawings, by the ancient warriors and elders and have been known to sail in a dense fog with horrible creatures of the deep sea following their ships beneath the waters. They have been described as fearsome fighters, decorated in clams and seaweed with rusty weapons from when they were men. This myth has led to the worshippers of the faith to have an immense fear of the open sea and would only in the most dire situation resort to sailing too far away from a shoreline. Nerubians The Underground Ones are not a popular tale amongst the worshippers, particularily because of the belief that they are servants of a darker power with their horrible looks, esoteric magic and underground dwellings. The Jormungar are suspected to be with these, and it is said that whoever was taken with these insectoid beasts down in their underground lairs would be twisted into an insect himself to serve the dark power. The elders however see them as immensly wise beings, claiming they are able to speak and even see the future by weaving magical strands of webbing. Ice Giants With beards purely made out of ice, these giants were once great allies to Thorim. But when Loken told him that it was indeed the -Sons of Hodir- who had slain Thorim’s wife, Sif, the Thunderlord started a war with the giants of Dun Niffelem. Legends say that Thorim brought down the fury of the storm upon their home - which is now called “Thunderfall”. There are some that say that the King of the Ice Giants, King Arngrim the Insatiable cursed Krolmir to be rendered unusuable shortly before his death at Thunderfall. But if this is true, how is Thorim still making the sky thunder? Most Alteraci pagans believe that Yetis are the descendants of the Ice Giants, and therefore see them as a mighty challenge in battle. Mammoths These massive beasts are one of the few to not carry any particular supernatural power, it is said that brave warriors would tame these behemoths with their bare hands and ride them into battle with plated armour and spikes on their massive tusks. They are revered as a symbol of Northern strength and durability with their thick skin, but is also seen as a symbol of peace with their normally tame nature. Jormungar As mentioned, these fearsome underground beasts are thought to be in league with the Insectoid Nerubians. Many fearsome tales are told of these beings, including tales of how they can grow so large they devour villages whole and carve underground tunnels for the Underground Ones to spread their dark taint through the lands. They are regarded as nothing less than a pest, a deadly one at that, said to spread like wildfire if left unchecked. Despite all of this, some tales claim of warriors who would tame these beasts and summon them from beneath the earth to decimate armies and villages under the command of the warrior. According to the folklore, Yggdras is the father of all Jormungar and the most dangerous beast on all of Azeroth, capable of digging not just beneath the ground of Northrend but under the very crust of the world itself where it gains otherworldly power from the very heart of Azeroth. It is said that he is so large, if he opened his mouth beneath the seas the water would almost disappear completely from the world before he would be full. Vordrassil Vordrassil is worshipped by the Alteraci as the tree of life. It is here that the gods gather to confer, and it is for this reason that the tribesmen tend to themselves meet around carefully selected trees when they seek to connect with the gods. All life stems from this tree, and without it there is nothing but death in the world. Vordrassil is said to reach far into the heavens with its branches, and deep into wells unknown with its roots. Rumors in Alterac speak of a great tree in the southern foothills of Hillsbrad called Valdrassil, a sapling of Vordrassil. Despite the convincing tales of Ekkil Longwalker, no one but him has found it yet. According to Ekkil’s saga, Freya is the caretaker of Valdrassil. Sacrifice Sacrifice plays an important role in the lives of the Alteraci. In hopes that the gods might listen to their prayers, the pagans sacrifice ,mainly animals, to the gods above. Perhaps the warm blood of a scrawny goat will convince the all-mighty to then lend an ear and grant the people a wish. If they refuse, the Alteraci can do little more than sigh and try again, for one cannot demand anything from the gods. When times grow increasingly futile, even other men might be sacrificed, in hope that the gods will eventually take head to the words of simple men… Sacrifices are to take place on Sundays, when the sun has left the sky. It is in the light of the two moons that the Alteraci confer to discuss their own fate, and it is then that the gods listen the most. The most prefered of settings is in a grove, which the local elder will have chosen, all judged by the age and vigor of the trees it consists of, and whatever other critera he can think of. Trees represent life, wisdom and proximity to the gods, and it is hence very important to find the correct ones. It is also custom for a small heap of rocks to be formed infront of the oldest tree in the grove, to represent the gods and serve as an altar to which one can offer upon. Sacrifice is performed by slitting the throat of the sacrifical animal, and drizzling the blood on all those hoping for a blessing from the gods. The remaining blood is sprinkled upon the most sacred tree as well as the small stone heap where the animal is then dumped. The animal is left to the mercy of nature. The ritual might differ depending on purpose and location. Who to Sacrifice To Thorim is sacrificed to when a pagan wishes for the sky to remain calm or when to have might bestowed upon him. In times of war, he is one of the gods most called upon, mainly to grant his faithful strength on the battlefield. Word is that it is to Thorim that the pagans would practice human sacrifice, when he listens not to other gifts. Freya is sacrificed to when a pagan wishes for the crops to grow, or for his goats and wife alike to bear many children and much milk. Watch out, though, for those that treat their wives ill, will often find themselves at the wrong side of the fury of Freya… Not many choose such a fate. Hodir is sacrificed to when a pagan wishes for winter. It is too much to hope for a warm winter, as much the Alteraci have learned, but those of the north are used to the cold. However, should enough gifts be granted to the him, he might ensure that the foes of his faithful, in this case the faltering Empire of Arathor, be granted a long, harsh and unforgiving winter. Mimiron is sacrificed to when a pagan wishes to be granted knowledge. When all seems dark and there is no obvious path, he will grant to the faithful the wisdom to find the way. It is not uncommon for wisemen, with Mimirion’s aid, to read in the guts of the sacrificed animals, to foresee what the gods intend for the future. Loken is sacrificed to when a pagan wishes for cunning and wit, and perhaps just a pinch of luck. He is honored to a great extent by those who intend to lead others in wars and raids, who worship him so that they will not only draw up succesful attacks, but also so that they will be able to react quickly to a changing battle. Prophecies The Winter Curse As written by Helgus, the Winter Curse heralds the Doom that will soon arrive to Azeroth, and is said to wipe out all life. In fear of the Winter Curse coming, some Alteraci have a certain distrust towards Harvest-Witches due to their powers to control seasons, though will avoid enraging them in fear of imminent death for all life on Azeroth. The Twilight of the Gods A dark tale that is often spoke in times of peril, the Twilight speaks of the time where darkness erupts from the underworld and explodes to the world of mortals as the gods of Ulduar battle despite being doomed. “Darkened power to rise from earth, covering the land in a veil of fire and dark. Like wings of doom, the fire shall spread, mountains will rise only to fall, water will turn crimson with the blood of mortal men and all life that has tread upon the earth will be crushed by the jaws of destruction.” The Return “When all is dark, and the flame of the world has been extinguished to naught but ashes, when flesh is scorched and mountains scarred and mortality has been drowned in tides of their own blood, the Pantheon lies broken and defeated before the power of the underworld, let the world itself grow from the darkness once more. The flora shall grow from the blood as if it was water, the mountains themselves will rise though battered and broken, and through the universal bond the remaining power of the fallen Pantheon shall be expelled and banish the evil and dark from the lands. A new age will herald, man shall live without worry or fear and though they will be without the Pantheon by their side, the mortals shall walk on their own feet empowered by the will of the Pantheon that has branded itself upon their minds.”